Anfield under the lights. Tottenham in town. A place in the Carabao Cup fourth round on the line. Liverpool have been handed a blockbuster start to their campaign.
Will Liverpool beat Spurs in the third round of the Carabao Cup?
Liverpool’s Carabao Cup campaign will begin with a heavyweight showdown at Anfield after the Reds were drawn against Spurs in the third round.
Carabao Cup Third Round Draw
While several Premier League heavyweights were handed lower-league opposition, Liverpool were given arguably the standout tie of the round, with Spurs heading to Merseyside during the week commencing 14th September.
The third-round schedule is being split across two weeks because of European commitments.
Cup History
For Liverpool, it provides an immediate test in a competition that has become woven into the club’s history. The Reds are the record 10-time League Cup winners, lifting the trophy most recently in 2024 when Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time header defeated Chelsea at Wembley.
Carabao Cup - Second Round - Tottenham Hotspur v Charlton Athletic - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 26, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi reacts Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra Roberto De Zerbi Thoughts
Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi is already relishing the prospect of taking his side to Anfield, insisting that facing Liverpool so early in the competition is exactly the sort of challenge his players should embrace.
“Great. Is a great game. It we want to win the competition, you have to win the games. Sometimes you can play in the beginning against a big, big team. Is a great challenge for the players and for me,” De Zerbi said following the draw.
His reaction only adds further intrigue to what is already the standout tie of the third round. There will be no easing into the competition for either side, with Liverpool’s League Cup pedigree colliding with a Tottenham team determined to make an early statement at Anfield.
Carabao Cup - Second Round - Tottenham Hotspur v Charlton Athletic - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 26, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur's Kevin Danso reacts after sustaining an injury while scoring their third goal Action Images via Reuters/Peter CziborraWe Meet Again
Tottenham, however, are certainly no strangers to Liverpool in this competition.
The clubs had met eight times in League Cup matches before their two-legged semi-final in 2025, meaning they have now faced each other 10 times across eight separate League Cup ties. This third-round meeting will therefore be their 11th League Cup match and ninth tie.
One of the most famous came in the 1982 final at Wembley. Spurs led through Steve Archibald before Ronnie Whelan equalised late on, forcing extra-time. Whelan struck again before Ian Rush completed a 3-1 victory as Liverpool retained the trophy.
More recently, the two sides produced a dramatic semi-final in 2025. Tottenham won the first leg 1-0 through Lucas Bergvall, only to run into a Liverpool storm at Anfield.
Goals from Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Van Dijk powered the Reds to a thumping 4-0 victory and a 4-1 aggregate success.
That memory should ensure Spurs arrive on Merseyside with a point to prove.
Other Third Round Ties
Elsewhere, Manchester United host Brighton, Manchester City face Norwich City and Arsenal travel to Ipswich Town, but Liverpool versus Tottenham is unquestionably one of the headline fixtures produced by the draw.
For Liverpool, there will be no gentle introduction and little room for experimentation. Their pursuit of an 11th League Cup begins against one of English football’s biggest clubs, under the Anfield lights, with another chapter of Liverpool-Spurs cup history waiting to be written.
